News articles and fights have become synonymous with each
other nowadays. All that we hear or see when we put on the news or take up a
news article is about how the rest of the world is fighting the ISIS in the
Middle East, how law enforcement is fighting the jihadists, how the US is sabre
rattling in the backyard of the Chinese and how the North Koreans are shooting
missiles into the sky every other day. We also hear about the fight against
corruption, inhumane treatment of animals, rape and theft; fight for property
as also fight in the name of religion. Over the centuries, the reasons for
fights or battles have shifted from extrinsic factors to intrinsic ideology. When
that happens, the reasons to fight also multiply as ideologies differ from
person to person.
This fact is surprisingly seen in the context of Yugas, which
stand for eras or epochs of time as given in the Hindu puranic texts. The four
primary yugas cited therein are the Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and
the Kali Yuga. Though the texts talk about inception of time well before the
start of the Satya Yuga, let us stick to these four cycles of time for the
purpose of this discussion. Satya Yuga was the age of truth. There was utmost
intelligence, virtuousness and content in that age. Hence there arose no
question of war or fights. The second yuga was the Treta Yuga. The Indian epic
Ramayana fell in this time cycle where Lord Rama fought and vanquished Ravana,
the demon lord who kidnapped his wife Sita. In this yuga, it was a fight of
good versus evil. The third yuga was the Dwapara yuga. The great war of
Mahabharata fell in this time cycle where the Pandavas fought and defeated the
Kauravas. The great war was a fight between two families for control of a
nation. It signified the lust for power and control which lead to the fall of
both parties in the end. The fourth yuga which is ongoing as per the texts is
the Kali yuga, which is described as an age of darkness and ignorance. The
fights which we see in this age are because of differences in personal beliefs
and ideology. There are fights within families and communities because members
don’t agree to the same thing.
Therefore, you see that as the cycles of humanity progress,
the closer to oneself the fight gets. We have reached a stage where the battle
is not for larger goals. It is not a fight of good against evil. It is not
between nations anymore. Even the fight between nations is no longer just for
control of resources or land. What is happening in the Middle East today is a
typical example. Different factions of the same country are fighting among
themselves because the beliefs and values of each faction are different.
This status is only going to worsen as the years pass by and
will reach a stage where every person will be pulled in two different
directions from within, to support a particular ideal or other; to do right as
against wrong. What is right though? Does what I consider right, construe the
same to you? Or is it wrong in your perspective? What do we do when we reach
such a point of conflict? What we can do is cut out all the jargon and
propaganda and turn within and reflect. Self-reflection really helps because many
a time the answer to our questions is also within us. The problem is that we
always turn outwards for the answer.
Inward introspection
sounds simple, but in fact is nowhere close to easy. Sitting in a lotus
position on the floor, with eyes closed and listening to the hum of the ‘Om’
chant on audio as they show on the early morning meditation classes on TV will
only help to the extent your doubts and questions start to resurface. Many a
times we need a teacher, a guru in Indian parlance to lead our thoughts to the
right answer or the state of questionless-ness if I may coin it that way. A
guru need not always be a person with two hands and two legs. It can be an
object or place or any other being which will trigger the self-search process
within you. Since we spoke of the Mahabharata earlier and we are talking about
a guru, let me draw from the 1st Shloka of the Bhagavadgita, the
sacred word of Lord Krishna to Arjuna, the warrior and the son of Pandu, right
before the start of the great war. It goes thus:
“Dhrutarashtra Uvacha - Dharmakshetre
kurukshetre samaveda yuyutsava!
Mamaka pandavaschaiva kimakurvata sanjaya!”
It translates to – “Dhrutarashtra
said, ‘Oh Sanjaya! What did my people and the sons of Pandu, assembled
with the desire of fighting in the Dharmabhumi of Kurukshetra do?’”
The blind king Dhrutarashtra, the king of the Kurus asks his
charioteer what his sons the Kauravas and his nephews the Pandavas assembled on
the battlefield of Kurukshetra do. In comparison we are like the blind king,
full of ignorance and ego in this kali yuga trying to understand the truth out
there. Sanjaya though a charioteer for Dhrutarashtra is in fact more than a
charioteer. He is the guru or the conduit who will lead Dhrutarashtra to the
truth by dispelling the darkness of doubts surrounding him. Similarly, we would
be lucky to find our respective Sanjaya who will direct us to the truth and
settle the turmoil within.
The Hindu puranas say the great lord himself will reincarnate
as the warrior Kalki and emerge from the sacred land of Shambala (better known
as Shangrila in Hollywood movies). He will be the harbinger of the end time
(Kali yuga) after which he will usher in another peaceful and content epoch or
Satya yuga. However, we needn’t wait for the sword wielding warrior to ride in
on a horse. Each one of us can be a Kalki and our collective souls, Shambala.
In conclusion, in this age of ignorance, sin and conflict, it
is time we introspect and find a way to win the battle within so that we don’t
have to fight one outside.
